[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 7, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19415-19416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08133]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 87 / Wednesday, May 7, 2025 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 19415]]
Executive Order 14290 of May 1, 2025
Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. National Public Radio (NPR) and the
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer
funds through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
(CPB). Unlike in 1967, when the CPB was established,
today the media landscape is filled with abundant,
diverse, and innovative news options. Government
funding of news media in this environment is not only
outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the
appearance of journalistic independence.
At the very least, Americans have the right to expect
that if their tax dollars fund public broadcasting at
all, they fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and
nonpartisan news coverage. No media outlet has a
constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies, and the
Government is entitled to determine which categories of
activities to subsidize. The CPB's governing statute
reflects principles of impartiality: the CPB may not
``contribute to or otherwise support any political
party.'' 47 U.S.C. 396(f)(3); see also id. 396(e)(2).
The CPB fails to abide by these principles to the
extent it subsidizes NPR and PBS. Which viewpoints NPR
and PBS promote does not matter. What does matter is
that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or
unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying
citizens.
I therefore instruct the CPB Board of Directors (CPB
Board) and all executive departments and agencies
(agencies) to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS.
Sec. 2. Instructions to the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting. (a) The CPB Board shall cease direct
funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my
Administration's policy to ensure that Federal funding
does not support biased and partisan news coverage. The
CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the
maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to
provide future funding.
(b) The CPB Board shall cease indirect funding to
NPR and PBS, including by ensuring that licensees and
permittees of public radio and television stations, as
well as any other recipients of CPB funds, do not use
Federal funds for NPR and PBS. To effectuate this
directive, the CPB Board shall, before June 30, 2025,
revise the 2025 Television Community Service Grants
General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria and the
2025 Radio Community Service Grants General Provisions
and Eligibility Criteria to prohibit direct or indirect
funding of NPR and PBS. To the extent permitted by the
2024 Television Community Service Grants General
Provisions and Eligibility Criteria, the 2024 Radio
Community Service Grants General Provisions and
Eligibility Criteria, and applicable law, the CPB Board
shall also prohibit parties subject to these provisions
from funding NPR or PBS after the date of this order.
In addition, the CPB Board shall take all other
necessary steps to minimize or eliminate its indirect
funding of NPR and PBS.
Sec. 3. Instructions to Other Agencies. (a) The heads
of all agencies shall identify and terminate, to the
maximum extent consistent with applicable law, any
direct or indirect funding of NPR and PBS.
(b) After taking the actions specified in
subsection (a) of this section, the heads of all
agencies shall identify any remaining grants,
contracts,
[[Page 19416]]
or other funding instruments entered into with NPR or
PBS and shall determine whether NPR and PBS are in
compliance with the terms of those instruments. In the
event of a finding of noncompliance, the head of the
relevant agency shall take appropriate steps under the
terms of the instrument.
(c) The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall determine whether ``the Public Broadcasting
Service and National Public Radio (or any successor
organization)'' are complying with the statutory
mandate that ``no person shall be subjected to
discrimination in employment . . . on the grounds of
race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.'' 47
U.S.C. 397(15), 398(b). In the event of a finding of
noncompliance, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall take appropriate corrective action.
Sec. 4. Severability. If any provision of this order,
or the application of any provision to any agency,
person, or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the
remainder of this order and the application of its
provisions to any other agencies, persons, or
circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 1, 2025.
[FR Doc. 2025-08133
Filed 5-6-25; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P